Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

State · 1936–2026 CE · at its largest around 1990 CE

An absolute monarchy covering most of the Arabian Peninsula, unified by Ibn Saud and proclaimed in 1932. Custodian of Mecca and Medina, it was transformed by the discovery of vast oil reserves.

On its lands while it lasted

David Ben-Gurion (1886 CE – 1973 CE): Zionist leader who proclaimed the State of Israel in 1948 and served as its first prime minister.
British Mandate for Palestine (1920–1948 CE): Britain administered Palestine under a League of Nations mandate that included the Balfour Declaration's commitment to a Jewish national home, amid growing Arab–Jewish conflict.
Dammam No. 7 strikes oil (1938 CE): The first commercially productive oil well in Saudi Arabia began its flow in March 1938, starting the kingdom's rise as a leading oil exporter.
Palestinian exodus of 1948 (1947–1949 CE): About 700,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1947–1949 war, an event Palestinians call the Nakba ('catastrophe').
Amman (c. 1947 CE): Capital of Kingdom of Jordan (1947–today).
Dead Sea Scrolls (c. 1947 CE): Bedouin shepherds found the first of some 900 ancient Jewish manuscripts in caves near Qumran; they include the oldest known manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible.
Declaration of the State of Israel (1948 CE): David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel in Tel Aviv on 14 May 1948 as the British Mandate ended, followed by war with neighbouring Arab states.
1948 Arab–Israeli War (1948–1949 CE): Arab states invaded after Israel's declaration of independence; Israel held and extended its territory, while Jordan and Egypt took the West Bank and Gaza.
Six-Day War (1967 CE): In June 1967 Israel defeated Egypt, Jordan and Syria and took the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights.
United Arab Emirates formed (1971 CE): Six emirates of the former Trucial States federated as the United Arab Emirates after British withdrawal from the Gulf; Ras al-Khaimah joined in 1972.
1973 oil crisis (1973–1974 CE): Arab oil producers embargoed countries that supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War and cut output, quadrupling oil prices and causing economic shocks worldwide.
Abu Dhabi (c. 1973 CE): Capital of United Arab Emirates (1973–today).
Grand Mosque seizure (1979 CE): Armed militants led by Juhayman al-Otaybi seized the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca; Saudi forces retook it after two weeks of fighting.
Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988 CE): Iraq under Saddam Hussein invaded Iran, starting an eight-year war of attrition that killed hundreds of thousands and ended in stalemate.
Gulf War (1990–1991 CE): Iraq invaded and annexed Kuwait; a US-led coalition authorized by the United Nations expelled Iraqi forces in early 1991.